Gambling Your Way to Freedom
by Dlat
Summary: Kagome struggles to come to grips with her new life with Sesshoumaru. Sequel to "Care to Make a Bet?" or to be more precise, it's the remake of the chapters I took down.
1. Aftermath

Gambling your way to Freedom

A.N. This is a sequel to "Care to Make a Bet" and as such, a lot of things might not make sense if you haven't read that story first. Also, to those of you who read the previous version of this story (before I took all those chapters down), this story will follow along the same lines as the previous attempt. I'm keeping the majority of the major events from the previous story, but I will be changing some things to make the story flow better from point to point. Well, hope you enjoy!

Chapter One: Aftermath

Kagome sighed as she reluctantly opened her eyes to face a well chiseled chest. She was surprised she was still in his arms. He'd pulled the comforter over them at some point and she couldn't resist smiling when she noticed how gently he cradled her. She didn't want to move. That would break the illusion and she wasn't looking forward to reentering reality. The events of the past night flashed through her mind and she unconsciously wriggled against him.

"You're awake," he said softly and she jerked, not expecting the sound. He leaned down, clearly intending to kiss her, but she pulled back.

"Why am I here?"

He sighed, running his hand through her hair instead. "Later. Do you want some breakfast?" She nodded and he smiled. "Well, why don't you go take a shower. I'll have something ready when you come down." She nodded once again and he rose from the bed, bringing her with him. He pointed her in the direction of the bathroom and then softly padded out of the room.

As the door shut behind him, Kagome collapsed to the floor, the gravity of the situation hitting her like a tsunami. She was dead. As soon as Hojo found her, he was going to kill her. And she didn't even want to think about all the people who'd probably been beaten for letting her escape. She had no doubt however, that one person would pay for her actions more than anyone else—Sango.

She hoped her friend was ok and that she'd been able to escape Hojo's wrath, even though she knew that was impossible. _What have I done? _She thought as her body began to shake. She couldn't stop the tears of anguish that clawed up her throat. Her breath came in labored gasps and her voice cracked weakly through her sobs. She was so far gone, she didn't notice the door opening once more or the arms that enveloped her, carrying her back to the bed.

He was whispering in her ear. Soft words of comfort he thought would ease her pain. But his presence only intensified her pain, reinforcing the knowledge that she would never be free. Suddenly, she had to know what he wanted and what he intended to do to her.

Struggling to get her breathing under control, she managed to mumble, "What do you want from me?"

"At the moment," he said, his words soft as he gently wiped her tears away with his thumb, "for you to stop crying."

"I can't….Hojo…" Her sobs were choking her again and she tried to pull away from him, but he only held her closer.

"I paid your debt this morning while you slept. You're free."

She allowed herself to believe him—for just a moment—before she shook her head. "You don't understand."

"Shhhh, it's ok."

"No, it's not!" she shrieked. "Even if Hojo doesn't find me, there's still you! For all I know, I've just traded masters. I don't even know your name!"

"Sesshoumaru,"

"Wha…what?" she said, startled out of her rant.

"My name. It's Sesshoumaru."

"Oh," she murmured, deflating slightly. She looked awkwardly at her hands, unsure what to say next. She became aware of his arms around her, his hands tracing soothing paths down her back. It felt nice, but she knew better than to allow herself to relax into his touch. As nice as he'd been to her, he was still a man—and men were only nice when they wanted something. She just had to figure out what his something was.

After another moment, he let her go, once again motioning her towards the bathroom as he left the room. Kagome made her way there slowly, taking in the various artifacts within his room as she went. The wall in front of her was mostly covered by a large tapestry depicting a battle between the inu lord of the west and the dragon clan.

_That must be his father._ Kagome thought, placing a delicate hand on the large inuyoukai that covered a large section of the work. His name had shocked her. Every miko knew of the great Sesshoumaru, reigning taiyoukai of the west and the most powerful youkai alive. Her grandmother had spoken of him with great reverence and Kagome had loved to hear the stories of him and his brother and how they brought peace to Japan by joining forces to destroy a powerful spider hanyou. But she never would have guessed in a million years that she would meet him. He was supposed to be in Japan, ruling his land from some well protected castle, not wandering the dingy streets of Atlanta.

She'd thought briefly that he could be lying. She'd known plenty of youkai who claimed to be some powerful lord hoping to scare her into submission, but her reiki had always shown her the truth. This time though, she had a feeling this particular youkai was the genuine deal. He might try to hide his youki, but there was no mistaking its power and that combined with his hair and markings left little doubt he spoke the truth. Stepping back from the tapestry, she turned and spotted the swords above his bed. Even from this distance, she could see the malicious aura that still radiated from Tokijin and she wondered how she'd missed it earlier. Tenseiga hung silently above the darker blade, giving no trace of the power it held within. She wondered offhandedly when he'd last used them. Deciding to continue her exploration after her shower, she finally made her way to the door he had indicated.

She emerged twenty minutes later, her skin slightly flushed from the water. Glancing at her teddy which lay in a heap with his clothes on the floor, Kagome wondered what he expected her to wear. She did not want to put that disgusting thing back on. She'd always loathed it and doubted very much that she'd ever willingly wear lingerie again. She wasn't sure how he'd react if she went through his clothes though. He might claim that he intended to treat her well, but would he stick to that? Or would he punish her for going through his closet in search of clothes? Maybe he expected her to wear the teddy again. After all, it had been her uniform…and he was her new master. Deciding better to be safe than sorry, Kagome grudgingly donned the revealing scrap of cloth she'd arrived in and ventured out in search of the kitchen.

"Ah," he said as she entered and she noted the surprise that flickered across his eyes. "There you are." He motioned towards the table and Kagome sat, noting with some confusion that it was only set for four. Her grandmother had told her numerous times about the grand and lavish lifestyles of those within the House of the Moon. Being one of the richest youkai clans, their lives were always the talk of the youkai world. Dogs were sociable creatures after all and it was no different among youkai. She wondered yet again what he was doing here and why his tastes seemed to have changed so vastly.

He set a plate of food before her and she mumbled a small "thank you," in response. He sat across from her with his own plate and she waited for him to take the first bite before reaching for her chopsticks.

She ate silently, inwardly reveling at how good it was. She wasn't sure what she was expected to do. Did he want her to talk? Or did he prefer a mere decoration? That's what Hojo had wanted. "Just dance," he'd sneer. "There's no need for your chatter. No one wants to hear you talk. It's your body they want." And as if to emphasize this, he'd usually reach out to grasp her, causing her to cringe in fright. She shivered involuntarily at the memory and tried to push it from her mind.

"You're cold," he said, and she looked up to find him watching her. "Why didn't you put on something else? There are plenty of clothes in my closet."

"I…" She hesitated, unsure if she should tell him. "I wasn't sure I was allowed."

He sighed. "Of course you are." He stood abruptly and left the room. Kagome wondered if she'd angered him, but a minute later, he returned carrying a blanket which he draped over her before returning to his seat. "After breakfast, please go choose whatever you like from my closet until we can get you some things of your own."

She nodded.

"Now, would you like to tell me how you came to be in that place?"

The question was so unexpected that Kagome jerked, suddenly incensed at the whole situation. Unaware of what she was doing, she stood, the blanket falling forgotten to the floor. "Why are you so damned interested in a whore? Just what the fuck do you want?"

He stood as well, more slowly than she had and walked to her shaking form. She didn't know if she was shaking from fear or anger, but one thing was certain: she was going to get some answers. And he was going to give them to her. By the time he'd reached her, she was beside herself with rage. She braced herself in case he decided to hit her and waited for his response.

"You're not a whore."

She scoffed, but before she could retort, he'd silenced her with his mouth. His lips devoured hers, clearly intending to drive all thoughts from her mind. When he pulled back, she swayed slightly, looking up at him in confusion. "Wha?"

"You may have worked as a dancer," he said, his eyes suddenly ablaze with anger. "But you are nothing like the other women in that dump. You refused to let others corrupt you, even though you knew that meant you would remain trapped forever."

Her eyes widened. Most people she'd met since being forced into this lifestyle only saw what she could do for them, or more specifically _to_ them. No one ever actually gave any thought to her feelings. Or why she was there in the first place. _Maybe he is different._

"I was sold to Hojo," she mumbled, refusing to look at him. "To pay a debt."

"Why don't you start at the beginning," he said, guiding her back to her chair and retrieving the blanket, placing it around her shoulders once more. He sat down again as well and Kagome wondered if he would look at her differently once she told him her story.

"My family is from a small town in Eastern Japan, as if Hojo. We grew up together. He wasn't always the creep he is now. We used to be friends. But then he spent a summer in Tokyo with his father and when he came back, he was a totally different person. He was constantly trying to get me to sleep with him, and when I refused, he took it out on my friends. He got two of them hooked on meth and then told them unless they convinced me to sleep with him, he would cut off their supply. Stupid, I know, but it still hurt. I couldn't believe he would use my friends to get to me. I had almost broken down and relented when his father was killed and Hojo moved to the States, using his inheritance to open this _club."_

"But that doesn't explain why _you_ are here."

"He didn't stop trying to get me even after he left. I was always getting mysterious emails offering all expense paid trips to study abroad in Atlanta, even though I'd never even applied to any colleges. My mom thought I should look into them since it would probably be my only chance to see the world, but some part of me knew it was him. Then two years ago, my brother was almost killed by a massive seizure. He's fine now, but the hospital bills, doctor fees, and medication costs wiped our family out completely. We run a shrine, so we'd never really been all that wealthy anyways, but this was just more than my mother could handle."

"What happened?"

He was looking at her sympathetically, his eyes never wavering from her face, and she wondered if he would still look at her that way after he knew.

"Hojo promised to pay for everything if my mother gave…" Her eyes clouded over as she dropped her gaze to the ground, unable to admit the truth.

"If she gave you to him," he finished for her.

She nodded solemnly, and the tears threatened to overwhelm her again. She'd thought her mother loved her. She'd been the one person Kagome thought she could trust beyond any shadow of doubt. Now she knew better than to put her trust in anyone. Trust only led to pain.

"Did your mother know what he intended to do to you?"

She violently wiped the tears from her face and shook her head. "I…I honestly don't know. All I remember is her asking me to go to the store for her and when I was walking home, someone shoved me in a van and injected something into my arm. When I came to, I was in Hojo's office in the club."

"And your family? What became of them?"

"Again," she said, still refusing to look at him. "I don't know. But I wouldn't trust Hojo to keep his word to anyone, so I doubt he did everything he said he would. He did tell me it was now my responsibility to pay off my family's debt."

She shivered again as the memories rushed over her. She'd woken chained naked to a sleek pole in the middle of Hojo's office. He'd smirked and crouched in front of her, casually asking her if she'd slept well before roughly kissing her. He'd trailed his disgusting hands all over her body, all the while whispering that she was his now until she paid off her debt, but not to worry, he'd pay her handsomely for her presence in his bed. She hadn't had any idea what he was talking about and had been overwhelmed with the urge to throw up all over his pristine suit, but instead, she'd spat in his face.

That had been a mistake. He'd yanked her back hard by the hair and hit her across the face so roughly she could barely remain conscious. She didn't even remember the rest of the beating and when she'd once more regained consciousness, he'd played her a recording of her mother agreeing to sell her to him. Then he'd told her since she wasn't cooperating, he'd decided to make her work off her debt in his club, and that she should be grateful to him for only making her dance as payment.

"Kagome?"

She jerked out of the memory, shocked to find him kneeling before her. He reached up to cup her face, but withdrew when she flinched.

"My god," he said softly and the next thing she knew, he'd wrapped his arms around her, cradling her head into the crook of his neck. "What the hell did he do to you?"

Kagome allowed herself to take comfort in his embrace, if only for the moment. He was so warm…and powerful. She could feel it in his muscles and she wondered briefly how she hadn't known who he was the moment he'd walked into that room in the club. But then again, the slums of Atlanta weren't really somewhere she'd have ever envisioned him in.

He was talking again and it took her a moment to focus on what he was saying. "Go to my closet and pick out something to wear and then we'll go get your belongings from your previous residence."

She pulled back, staring at him incredulously. "What?"

"Surely you have belongings you'd like to retrieve?"

"Well, yes but…" she'd never believed he'd let her get them. Hell, she didn't even believe him now.

"Then we'll go get them. We need to go back into town so you can get some clothes anyway. That was the one thing I could not get for you. Now, are you finished eating?" She nodded, too astounded to speak. He nodded as well and helped her to her feet. "Good, go get dressed while I clean up here and then we can leave."


	2. The Apartment

Gambling Your Way to Freedom

Chapter 2: The Apartment

Twenty minutes later, Kagome found herself once again settled comfortably into his car—which she now recognized as the car Tom Hiddleston drove in the banned Jaguar villain ads—her gaze locked to the window as they sped towards the city. Last night she'd been too caught up in fear to appreciate her surroundings, so now she made sure to take it all in. She was surprised to find it would take them almost an hour to get back to the club. She didn't remember it taking that long to get to his home the night before. Of course, the traffic was a big factor, but surely it would be less dense now than last night…which meant that she had been even further distracted last night than she thought.

"Where is your apartment?" he said softly and she trembled slightly at the velvety timbre of his voice.

"Directly in front of the club. Hojo said it would allow him to make sure I didn't do anything stupid."

"I see."

"No," she sighed. "I don't think you do." Turning back to the window, Kagome drifted off into her thoughts once again. She wondered what would happen when Hojo finally caught up to them. There was no way he would be content with the money. That much she knew. He'd been after her for so long, there was no way he was going to just lie back and let someone take her out of his control.

"What are you thinking about?"

She jumped, not expecting the question. "Hojo. He's going to be pissed."

He growled, his grip tightening on the wheel. "He will not touch you. He got his money. He has nothing else to threaten you with."

She scoffed. "That's what you think."

When they reached the club, Kagome gestured to the shabby apartment complex across the street. He nodded and followed her up the stairs and into her meager one bedroom apartment.

"Well," she sighed, spanning her arms around the room. "This is it. Sorry it's so pathetic. My roommate and I haven't had a lot of money to fix it up."

"Given your situation, this is impressive." Sesshoumaru scanned over every inch of the apartment, his eyes searching out any cameras or listening devices that would give away their presence. He was surprised by the number of objects cluttering the room, until his mind registered the last part of her statement. "Roommate?"

"Huh?" Kagome said, pausing in her search for a box to look up at him. He was staring at her, his eyebrow quirked in question. "Oh, yeah. I live with another Japanese girl from the club. Her name is Sango."

"Does she…"

"Yes, she owes him a lot of money too."

"How?"

Kagome raised her eyebrows in shock. She hadn't expected him to show interest in her friend. "Uh, her ex-boyfriend. He uses her to get drugs."

"She was his collateral?"

She nodded. "Pretty much. And I have no idea how she handles it."

"What do you mean? She's in the same situation you were in, right?"

"No, hers is far worse. At least I didn't have to worry about my mom borrowing more money from him."

He looked confused for a moment until realization dawned. "He's still using her to buy his drugs."

"Yeah, she's been working at the club for three years and every time she gets close to paying it off, Cameron throws a party and buys enough heroin to kill a herd of elephants."

"How much does she owe now?"

"I dunno, 50,000 maybe. Why do you care?"

"Because you do."

Feeling her face flush in embarrassment, Kagome turned away and began packing again. "She took me in. I thought I would go crazy when Hojo dumped all this on me. I almost killed myself the second month I was here, but Sango stopped me and convinced Hojo to let me move into this apartment with her."

"Where were you living before?"

"It doesn't matter. Sango helped me cope and taught me how to handle everything."

Suddenly, his arms were around her, pulling her back against his firm chest. "She has my gratitude then. She kept you safe."

Kagome opened her mouth to respond, but stopped when the door to the apartment swung open and a woman in a torn sweater and jeans stumbled in. "Sango?"

The woman looked up and Kagome gasped. The entire left side of her face was one giant bruise. Her lip was split in two different places and her nose pointed out at an odd angle. "Kagome?"

The words had barely left her mouth before Kagome had crossed the room and pulled her inside. "What happened?" she asked as she helped her battered friend into a chair.

"Hojo. When you disappeared he…he thought I'd let you escape."

"Oh kami," she collapsed, her head falling to rest on Sango's leg. "I'm so sorry. It's all my fault."

Sesshoumaru watched the exchange, silently waiting for one of the women to notice he was still there. Finally, after a few minutes, Sango said "Who's he?"

Glancing up at Sesshoumaru as well, Kagome chuckled. "Haha…well, um…you see. He's my um…"

"I am her mate, Sesshoumaru." He saw the young girl's eyes widen and he wondered if it was his statement or his name that had shocked her more.

"Your…WHAT?!" Her gaze tore to Kagome, her eyes blazing. "Tell me he's not serious!"

Kagome sighed and slowly moved her hair to the side so Sango could see the mark. "He is."

Sesshoumaru saw too late, the rage consume Sango's features. She violently shoved Kagome away from her, her expression one of complete and utter disgust as she stormed out of the room. Kagome slumped against the chair, rubbing her hand where it had hit the floor and tried not to cry. It took her a moment before she noticed the low rumbling echoing around her and when she did, she looked up to find Sesshoumaru once again kneeling before her, his expression dark as he reached for her hand.

"It's ok," she said softly. "I'm fine."

He scoffed, turning her hand over in his as he searched out her injury.

"I just landed wrong, I promise."

"It shouldn't have happened in the first place." He finally raised his eyes to hers and Kagome gasped at the fire she saw there. Glancing over his shoulder, Kagome saw Sango dart back into the kitchen.

"I should go talk to her." She moved to get up and Sesshoumaru's growls once again surrounded her, but she held up a hand to silence him. "You don't understand. Sango has been betrayed by every man she has ever encountered. She just doesn't want me to get hurt."

He gave her a dubious look, but reluctantly stood and helped her to her feet. "Just let me talk to her for a few minutes ok? I promise she didn't mean to hurt me. This is just a lot to take in at once."

She walked slowly to the kitchen, not surprised to find Sango chopping vegetables. The kitchen had always been Sango's sanctuary. She once told Kagome she loved cooking because it was the only aspect of her life where she had complete control over everything. She decided what to cook and when. She'd also encouraged Kagome to find something similar for herself, but the girl had never been able to find anything and ended up just watching Sango cook whenever she felt overwhelmed. They'd discussed so many things in this kitchen, most of them about the club, and Kagome didn't want to taint what might be their last conversation with an argument. Taking her usual place on the other side of the counter, Kagome waited for her friend to speak.

"I'm sorry," Sango said finally. "I didn't mean to push you like that."

"It's alright. You're actually handling it better than I di—"

"How?" Sango said abruptly, cutting her off.

"He came to the club last night and um…" How did she tell her friend she'd lost her freedom to a bet? She was already mad enough and Kagome knew she had to tread carefully or the woman would explode. "He bought my freedom."

"Just like that huh? Why would he buy your freedom when he'd just met you?"

"He said he's been coming for a while to watch me."

"So, you decided to thank him by mating him? Haven't you listened to anything I've told you? He'll betray you! They all do! What are you going to do when he sells you to someone else to get his money back?"

"I know what it looks like," Kagome said, trying to keep her voice from sounding too pleading. "But I think he's different." She didn't know why she was saying it. She'd been thinking exactly as Sango was since he'd first entered the room the night before. But even as she said it, she knew she wasn't lying. Sesshoumaru had been nothing but kind to her. And she couldn't see him paying so much for her if he was just going to sell her again.

Sango wasn't buying it though. "He's a man Kagome. You know they're only interested in one thing. And obviously you've already whored it to him!"

Kagome stared at her in disbelief, feeling as if she'd been slapped. She couldn't believe her friend was acting like this. They'd been through so much together. She'd thought of Sango as a sister, but obviously the other woman hadn't felt the same if she could throw her away like this so easily. And then, Sesshoumaru was beside her again, his arms wrapping possessively around her as he growled at Sango. She didn't protest as he slowly led her from the room. Sango did not follow.

"We're leaving," he said gently. "We can come back later for your things."

She nodded mutely and he led her down to his car, only releasing her when she was safely seated on the plush leather.

"Are you alright?" he said softly when he was seated next to her.

"She's…never talked to me like that before. I can't—oh gods!"

"What?"

"Hojo!" She pointed a shaking hand out the window and he looked across the street to see a dark haired man entering the apartment building. She was out of the car before he could react, sprinting as fast as she could across the street. He caught her just outside the doors; his strong arms wrapping around her from behind as he pulled her back from the building. "Let me go!" she screamed, pushing at his arms. "He's going after Sango again!"

"Calm down Kagome,"

"No! It's my fault! I have to save her!" she suddenly lifted her leg and threw it backwards, hitting him squarely in the groin, a little reiki thrown in for good measure. His arms fell away and Kagome bolted up the stairs.

It didn't occur to her until she was almost at the door that she had absolutely no idea what she was going to do. But that didn't matter. All that mattered was Sango. She wanted to slam the door to the apartment open and run inside as fast as she could, but she knew that surprise was essential here. Her only hope was to catch Hojo off guard. Then she and Sango might have a chance to escape. Silently slipping into the apartment, she held her breath as she listened for sounds of movement. But the apartment was still. Deciding to check the kitchen first since that's where she'd last seen Sango, she inched forward. But then the door slammed behind her and Kagome felt her stomach drop into her ankle.

"Hello, Kagome."

Bracing herself, Kagome forced her body to turn and face him. He was standing by the door—which she now realized he must have been hiding behind—Sango held like a shield in front of him. Oh gods, she wanted to kill him. His eyes raked down her body and Kagome fought not to shudder in revulsion.

"Hojo, you bastard! Let her go!"

"Ah, ah, ah," he chided, tightening his grip on Sango, who winced. "That's no way to speak to your master. Now, tell me my pet, did you enjoy your stay with that scum? I do hope he took care of you in my absence."

"Better than you ever did! He would never treat me as you did. He has honor!"

"A youkai with honor. Ha. That's rich. But don't fret my pet. I've come to take you home."

"You stay away from me!" Kagome tried to sound tough, even though all she wanted was to curl in on herself and wait for him to go away. She had to figure out how to get him to release Sango so they could escape. A small part of her brain reminded her that if she hadn't kicked Sesshoumaru, he probably could have already saved Sango and been halfway to Japan by now, but she shoved that thought aside. It wouldn't do her any good now. She was on her own, and if she wasn't careful, she was going to be in serious trouble.

"Enough nonsense. Kagome, I let you have your time here in this apartment, but it's time you came home."

"Never! Or have you forgotten, you don't own me anymore!"

He chuckled, the dark sound pushing all hopes from her mind. "No, I guess not. Not for the moment anyway." He ran a hand down the bruises on Sango's face, smiling as she flinched. "I guess I'll just have to make do with Sango while you enjoy your little vacation." His fingers knotted in Sango's hair, yanking her head back so his mouth was right by her ear. "Did you have fun last night my sweet Sango? We could do it again if you like; maybe Kagome could join us."

Kagome watched in horror as Hojo caressed Sango's body, ignoring the young woman's whimpers. She was doomed. There was no way out. _Damn. I should have waited for Sesshoumaru. _But it was too late. She shifted slightly to her left, searching for something to defend herself with, but it only drew Hojo's attention back to her. He flung Sango away from him, smirking when she roughly hit the wall, and slowly began walking towards Kagome.

Kagome watched him, paralyzed with fear. There was nowhere to go, nothing she could do. Nothing would stop him now. She could only hope that he would be distracted long enough with her to allow Sango to escape. But then she heard something. A sound rising seemingly from the walls themselves, vibrating them as it grew louder and louder. It was a growl, she realized. Hojo was growling. Except it wasn't Hojo. He had stopped, seemingly baffled by the sound. And then there was something blocking him from her view and she realized what had happened. Sesshoumaru had materialized right in front of her. And he was practically glowing in fury.

"Leave." He said coldly, and Kagome was suddenly reminded of just who was protecting her.

"Tsk tsk," Hojo replied, wagging a finger at the taiyoukai. "You're forgetting who owns this apartment. But since you're here, I have a business proposition for you. I don't know what my little Kagome said to get you to pay her debt, but I assure you, she's not worth it. Allow me to take her off your hands. I will, of course, repay you in full."

"That will not be necessary."

"I was only thinking of you. Kagome isn't worth a dime. She never has any customers."

"You know why I didn't you bastard!" Kagome screamed from behind Sesshoumaru, a little of her courage returning now that she wasn't facing him on her own. "Just because I have morals!"

"Silence wench! Lord Sesshoumaru doesn't want to hear you prattle!"

It happened faster than Kagome could blink. She'd heard the growl, but before she could process it, Hojo was dangling from the floor, suspended in the air by Sesshoumaru's hand around his throat. His fingers grasped frantically at the hand gripping him, and Kagome watched in morbid satisfaction as his face started to turn blue.

"You will not speak to my mate," Sesshoumaru growled and Kagome saw Hojo's eyes widen a fraction. But then he was sailing through the air, out into the hall, and Kagome heard his body hit the outer wall with a resounding crack.

Sesshoumaru turned then, his eyes searching hers. "Are you injured?"'

Kagome shook her head. "No, I'm fine. Is…is he dead?"

"Unfortunately no. The way the justice system works here, I cannot kill him without causing immense trouble for you."

"Oh," she said softly, leaning slightly to the left so she could see his body, slumped against the wall. "Can you get him out of here? I need to check on Sango."

Sesshoumaru nodded, walking out into the hall. He grabbed one of Hojo's ankles and dragged him down the hall. Kagome heard his body thunking down the stairs. A moan to her right jerked her out of her reverie and she rushed to her fallen friend.

"Can you walk?" She asked softly, reaching to help her stand.

"I think so. What happened?"

"Sesshoumaru. He came in right after Hojo threw you. He saved us."

Kagome waited for the other woman to reel on her again, but she merely collapsed against her and they slowly walked to the chair.

"I'm sorry Kagome," she said weakly, turning watery eyes on Kagome, who frowned confused. "I shouldn't have said those things to you. I know you had no control over this. I guess I was just jealous."

"Jealous? Of me? Why?"

"You got out."

Kagome sighed. "Sango, I've just traded masters. Believe me, you have nothing to be jealous of."

But Sango was shaking her head. "No Kagome. Youkai don't mark people willy nilly. He's serious."

"He just wants to control me. He's no different from Hojo."

"I don't think so. If that was the case, he would have just locked you up and had his way with you. And he definitely wouldn't have let you come back here." They made it to the chair and Sango collapsed, something seeming to dawn on her. "Why are you here anyway?"


	3. An Offer Refused

Gambling Your Way to Freedom

Chapter 3: An Offer Refused

Sango sighed as she walked into the bedroom, leaning against the doorframe to watch her only friend pack. "Kagome, are you alright?"

"Hmm?" Kagome said, looking up from the box she was stacking clothes into. "Yeah, I'm ok. Just shocked about the whole Hojo thing is all. You sure you won't go to the hospital?"

"I'm fine," Sango replied, waving her off. "And don't change the subject. Now, I know something is up, so what is it?"

She shrugged. "I'm just…I dunno…"

"Scared?" Sango supplied, smiling and quirking her eyebrow at Kagome's shocked expression.

"How could you tell?"

Sango sighed. "Kagome, I've known you long enough to read your emotions. Now what are you so afraid of? Hojo?"

"Sango, what if…" The young miko sighed, the shirt she was folding falling forgotten by her side. "What if…"

"What if he had taken Hojo up on his offer?" She finished for her friend. Kagome nodded and Sango walked over to wrap her arms around the now shaking woman. "Kagome, you know as well as I do that youkai do not mate people all willy nilly. It's not something they enter into lightly."

"But, what if you're right and he's just using me and when he tires of me, I'll wake up one day to realize he's sold me to someone else?"

"I was angry," Sango sighed. "I didn't really mean it. I only said those things because I was hurt. I didn't want to be left alone in this hellhole." They sat down on the bed and Kagome's forehead collapsed onto her friend's shoulder. She could feel the young girl's tears slowly soaking her shirt and she wracked her brain trying to figure out how to comfort her distraught friend. Brushing the young girl's hair from her shoulder, Sango gently touched Sesshoumaru's mark on Kagome's neck. "This mark isn't temporary. It brands your soul to his. For all eternity. You could never rid yourself of him, even if you really wanted to."

"I just don't understand what he sees in me," she mumbled.

"Well," Sango said, lifting Kagome's chin and brushing the tears from her eyes. "You have an endless lifetime to figure it out." Kagome smiled weakly and Sango suddenly grinned. "At least you'll always have something nice to look at."

"Sango!"

"What? It's true!"

Sesshoumaru stopped in the hallway, listening to the amazingly lilting sound of Kagome's laughter. Deciding to give them a moment before he interrupted them, he held back in the hallway to listen.

"Now, what about you?" Kagome said and Sesshoumaru frowned at the tension slowly creeping into the air.

"What do you mean?"

"Come on Sango, I'm out. The next logical step is to get you out." Sango laughed, but it was mirthless and Sesshoumaru frowned. These women were too young to be this cynical.

"This is my fight Kagome."

"Yes and you're losing! And that's not even mentioning the money! Sango, your face looks like he used you as a punching bag! Why won't you go to the hospital?!"

"I'll be fine, really. I don't want to make a fuss."

"But Sango, I can't just leave you here. He'll kill you!"

"No he won't. He won't get his money back that way. Don't worry about me. I'll be fine. Besides, if I'm not here, who's going to watch out for the rest of the girls?"

Feeling he was eavesdropping on something they would probably rather him not hear, Sesshoumaru cleared his throat and entered the room. The two girls sprang apart, Kagome still sniffling slightly.

After a moment though, Sango bowed before him, and said softly. "I'm sorry for the way I acted. I didn't mean to dishonor you Lord Sesshoumaru."

"There is nothing to apologize for," he said in return, reaching into his pocket to retrieve a scrap of paper. "You sure you'll be alright? You are more than welcome to come with us." She shook her head and he sighed, holding out the card. "We must go, but if you need anything, please don't hesitate to call. My door is always open to you."

"Thank you." Sango said softly, and Sesshoumaru saw her blink back tears.

He nodded and motioned to Kagome, who turned to face her friend and he could tell she too was fighting tears.

"I can't believe I'm not going to see you every day from now on. What am I going to do without you?"

"You're going to live happily ever after and relish your freedom from that sleazebag Hojo."

It was too much. Tears streaming down her face, Kagome ran to Sango and hugged her close. "Please be safe," he heard her mumble, her face buried in her friend's hair. "I love you sister."

"Why wouldn't she accept my help?" Sesshoumaru said ten minutes later as he pulled onto the expressway. "Surely she does not wish to remain there."

"Sango is a mother hen. She looks out for all the girls. And I think she's afraid of what will happen to them if she's gone." She sniffled, still trying to control her tears. "Thank you, by the way."

"For what?"

"For offering to help and for giving her your card. You didn't have to do that."

"She's your friend. And she obviously played a pivotal role in your survival. I do not wish to reward her loyalty by letting her remain there."

"She won't accept help."

"I like a challenge."

Kagome huffed in disbelief and turned to look out the window, frowning when she noticed they were getting off on a different exit. "Where are we going?"

"You'll see."

Sango sighed as she watched Kagome disappear into the fancy white car. She couldn't believe her friend was really gone. The apartment felt so empty without her infectious laughter. She wondered how she ever lived here alone. Turning away from the window, her eyes glazed over as she thought about the coming night. Hojo would have no doubt returned to consciousness by now and he was going to be furious.

A small part of her wished she had gone with Kagome and Sesshoumaru, if only to escape Hojo's wrath. But she also knew that if she left, Hojo would take his anger out on one of the other girls, and she couldn't live with that. As terrified as she was, she would still rather Hojo beat her to a pulp than risk him hurting any of the other girls.

Once again cursing the day she'd ever met Cameron, she walked back into the kitchen to where her half prepared soup sat on the counter. She really should finish it, but for once she just couldn't bring herself to care. Shoving all the prepped veggies into a Tupperware container, she replaced everything in the fridge and then reached into the cabinet for her guilty pleasure—ramen.

"What are we doing here?"

Sesshoumaru paused and turned, surprised to find Kagome still standing by the car. She hadn't moved. Standing with her arms lying slack against the car, her eyes wide, she was the epitome of confusion. Smiling gently, he extended his hand to her. "You need clothes, remember."

It was the wrong thing to say he suddenly realized. Her eyes hardened and she crossed her arms over her chest. She was retreating and he couldn't figure out why. He thought they were at least starting to get comfortable with each other, even if she didn't trust him. But while her lack of trust was something he could understand, he did not understand her absolutely refusal to open up to him.

"Why are you doing this?"

Her eyes were completely void of emotion now and he knew her defenses were rising. Walking back to her, he decided to try one final tactic. Grasping her chin gently, he tried to make his words as soft as he was able. "Because you deserve to be shown kindness and because I want you to be happy."

"So you pity me? Is that it?" She tried to pull away, but he trapped her between himself and the car.

"Never," he said softly, threading his fingers into her hair. He wanted to kiss her, but knew it would only push her further away.

"Then why?"

"I told you, I want you to be happy."

If he thought this would convince her, he was sorely mistaken. He saw the fire flash deep in her eyes and when she spoke, he was taken aback by the ice in her tone.

"Then let me go."

He shook his head. "I cannot do that. You need protecting."

"Yeah? Maybe so, but that doesn't mean you get to be my knight in shining armor! I want to be free! How dare you think I could ever be happy as your _slave_!" Her last word came out as a snarl and she shoved him away, her reiki searing his flesh. She was across the parking lot before he could recover. He heard a horn blare in the distance and turned to see her dart around a car and straight into the road. He was before her in an instant, gathering her into his arms and rushing them to safety.

"Let go of me you bastard!" she shrieked, her fists pounding into his chest.

"Do not confuse me with my brother."

He said it in hopes of confusing her into calming down, but he was still relatively surprised when she frowned up at him. But it didn't last long.

"RRRRRRG! I hate you!" She screamed, continuing to pound against his chest. She screamed and screamed. He could feel all her rage pouring out and when it had gone, she collapsed against him.

"Shhhh," he soothed, glaring at the people who had gathered around them to watch. "It will be alright." She buried her face in his shoulder as sobs once again overwhelmed her and he stroked her hair gently, wondering how in the world he was supposed to help someone who was so thoroughly broken.


	4. Coffee and Books Fix Everything

Gambling Your Way to Freedom

Chapter 4: Coffee and Books Fix Everything.

When Kagome returned to her senses, the first thing she noticed was how safe she felt. It was hard to think of the last time she felt this way, but then she realized her backrest was breathing and there were arms wrapped around her. Opening her eyes, she realized they were back in his car and she was sitting in his lap. Glancing back at him, she was shocked by the intensity of his gaze.

"Are you feeling any better?" he said softly and Kagome felt his fingers thread into her hair. She nodded slightly and he shifted her in his arms. "Do you want to go home?"

She mentally scoffed. He meant his home, where he would no doubt want more sex. Did she really want to deal with that right now? She shook her head, ignoring the little voice that told her she was only delaying the inevitable.

"No, it's ok." She said finally, leaning forward away from him. "I'm alright."

He opened the door and she slipped off his lap, awkwardly waiting as he got out. He offered his hand to her, but she refused, gasping as they rounded the corner.

"It's a castle! But I thought this was a mall?"

Sesshoumaru chuckled, pleased with her response. "It is. The mall has a jousting arena built within it."

"What do you mean?"

"Jousting is a medieval sport."

"I know that," she said exasperatedly. "I just don't understand why they have an arena here."

"You'd be surprised. It's very popular. Especially with younger people."

"Oh,"

As they entered the mall, her eyes were drawn to the displays surrounding the arena and Sesshoumaru made a mental note to buy tickets. They meandered casually through the crowds. He was rather surprised by the amount of people here, but then again, it was Saturday.

"So, where would you like to go first?" he said finally.

"I…I don't need anything. It doesn't matter."

He frowned, wondering just what she'd had to deal with to develop such anxiety. Her eyes kept following the store displays, so he knew she'd found several things she liked. However, her entire aura exuded nervousness, as if she were afraid to anger him by requesting something. "Come now Kagome, I understand your anxiety, but there are no strings attached to this. You had to leave most of your things in Japan, did you not?"

She nodded. "Everything I own was sold as far as I know. At least that's what Hojo said. Then obviously all my earnings from the club went towards my debt. Everything I have was given to me by Sango or Hojo."

"Well then, might I suggest clothes and perhaps some things you might enjoy – do you have any hobbies?"

"I like to read," she said softly. "And I have always wanted to try crochet."

"Crochet?"

"Yeah," she replied nodding again and he noticed her eyes light up as she spoke. "I heard some girls at the club talking about the different things they'd made and it seemed pretty interesting. They said they learned from YouTube. I was just never able to get supplies to try."

"Hmm, we might not be able to find supplies for that here, but we can look."

"Ok,"

They passed a store display lined with plushies and he motioned to it. "Do you like anime? This store looks interesting."

"Are you sure all this will fit in your car?" Kagome asked as they exited yet another clothing store. She was positive they'd visited every store in the mall now. He seemed determined to buy everything she showed interest in and it was unnerving to think of all the new clothes she had. She'd never owned this much in her life.

"Miroku should be here soon with the truck," he replied, pulling her from her thoughts. "He'll be taking most of it."

"Who's Miroku?"

"A friend. He works at the ranch."

"Oh, ok. So, how big is the ranch anyway?"

"Not big. I just have a few horses. Miroku looks after them and does odd jobs around the house for me."

She nodded. "So, where are we going now?"

"There's a book store just along here." He pointed up the hall and Kagome's eyes were drawn to a large bookstore complete with…

"Coffee!"

Sesshoumaru chuckled, enjoying her obvious excitement. "Would you like some?"

She nodded emphatically and they soon were sitting down at a small table near the door, drinks in hand as they watched the passing shoppers.

Kagome moaned as she inhaled the steam wafting from her cup, her eyes closed as she savored the moment.

He chuckled. "Happy?"

"I love coffee," she said, biting her lower lip in a strange half smile. "Sango always made a big pot for me and the girls every morning. My favorite thing is to put ice cream in it."

"Ice cream?"

"Mmhmm," Kagome nodded. "It makes it really frothy and also cools it down a bit too which I like. It's good in tea too, but coffee is my favorite."

When they'd finished their coffee, Kagome began meandering through the aisles, her fingers trailing almost reverently along the tomes. She looked so peaceful, Sesshoumaru almost felt he was intruding. Glancing down, he noticed he had a message from Miroku and decided to take a chance.

"Kagome,"

"Hmmm?" she mumbled, her eyes now hungrily scanning the pages of a thick novel.

"I need to go meet with Miroku. I'll be back later." She nodded absentmindedly and he held out his credit card, slipping it on top of the page she was currently devouring. She finally looked up at him, her eyebrows drawn down in confusion. "Anything you want." He said gently and she nodded again jerkily.

He found Miroku outside, casually leaning against the truck as he ogled a passing woman. "Really monk, can't you control yourself for one moment?"

"Hey! I haven't been a monk in a very long time, and there's no law that says I can't look." He smirked, and Sesshoumaru realized there was no use. The man was hopeless, but he was also one of the best bodyguards in the business. He'd met Miroku years before and immediately been amazed by his skills. He had an uncanny ability to blend in with any surrounding and his background as a monk gave him an edge against youkai as well. When Sesshoumaru moved to America a few years back for a change of scenery, he'd casually offered Miroku a job as his ranch hand and had been completely surprised when he'd accepted.

"So, how's it going?" Miroku asked, nodding in the direction of the mall.

"As well as can be expected. Took a while to get her to buy anything, but I think she's starting to relax a little. She's in the bookstore." 

"Need me to stick around?" He asked as he secured the shopping bags under a tarp in the truck bed.

"The books should fit in my car. Do you know of any craft stores in the area?"

"Uhh," Miroku looked around for a moment, completely baffled and shrugged. "That's what Google's for!"

"Hnn, send me the address and we'll meet you there. Kagome wants to learn how to crochet."

"Huh, ok. I'll let you know when I find something."

He nodded and returned to the book store, finally locating Kagome seated in the middle of one of the aisles, her eyes avidly scanning the pages of what looked like a mystery novel.

"Having fun?" he asked, kneeling down beside her. He picked up one of the books from the small pile beside her and glanced at the title. Another mystery novel. She finally looked up at him and he noted she used the receipt to mark her place. "Did you find everything you wanted?"

She nodded. "I wanted more, but these will do for now. Thank you."

"No problem. What did you decide on?"

He listened intently as she showed him her finds. It turned out she had somewhat of a weakness for mystery and thriller books. She said her favorite part was figuring out the who's and what's before the end of the book. She also had a complete set of Harry Potter books, which she said had been a favorite of hers since middle school. She'd also gotten a romance novel, which she bashfully explained was by one of her favorite authors. According to her, this particular author's plot was usually just as interesting as the romance, and there was usually a mystery as well, which made it all the better to her.

He picked up her books, briefly wondering why she hadn't gotten a bag for them, and led her back out among the throngs of shoppers. They made their way back through the mall and were almost back to the entrance they'd come in at when Kagome stopped and looked around in confusion.

"Is this mall a circle?"

He chuckled. "Yes. However, Miroku once got lost in here so don't feel bad you didn't notice."

She eyed him dubiously. "How do you get lost in a circular mall?"

"I suspect there was a woman involved, but you can never tell with him." 

She giggled. "So, where to now?"

"You'll see,"

She eyed him suspiciously, recalling what had happened when they'd arrived at the mall. She was unsure how many more surprises she could handle, but he refused to say anything further and with a sigh, she resigned herself to whatever he had in mind.


End file.
